The invention relates to water craft mooring devices, and more particularly to a portable or built-in mooring device for mooring a boat or other water craft to a dock, or to another water craft.
In mooring boats and other water craft to a dock, various types of mooring devices have been developed. The simplest mooring device is a rope that is tied to both the boat and dock. However, when the water is turbulent, this simple device, as with some other mooring devices, allows the boat to rub against the dock, particularly when there is a storm, or when other water craft pass near the moored water craft, this causes the water to move up and down incurring damage to the water craft as it hits the dock with the up and down motion of the water. Buoy type bumpers are pushed up or down by the waves, allowing the boat to come in contact with the dock, or the mooring device itself could rub and damage the water craft.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,575,234, shows a mooring device that is comprised of two elongated arms that are attached to the boat at one point and to the dock at two points to allow the boat to move up and down, but not against the dock.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,697,538, utilizes two arms and a ball and hitch socket for mooring a boat to a dock. The ball is attached to the boat, and the hitch socket is attached to one of the arms attached to the dock.
Reissue Pat. No. RE25,372 utilizes two pivotally attached mooring arms. Each end of each.arm is attached to a bracket, one end is attached to the boat and one end is attached to the dock.
The prior art mooring devices each require a permanent attachment to a dock, therefore, the mooring devices are not portable or adaptable for attachment to existing devices on a boat or on another dock without matching hardware.
The invention is a portable mooring device that is adaptable for attachment to existing devices, such as a cleat or rail on a boat or water craft. A flat plate is attached to an existing cleat or rail by U-bolts, and then a mounting fixture or mounting device is attached to the plate. The attachment device may be a mounting plate that receives a rod secured thereto by a pin or other fastening device. The rod may be of a desired length to secure the boat to a dock with a rope, cord, or other securing device. The rod is secured in the mounting plate so that it will not move laterally to the dock, therefore keeping the boat at a desired distance from the dock. The rod may have a pivot point on the end attached to the mounting plate so the boat can move up and down with the movement of the water.